VIVA’s Early Bird Festival Bible 2016
| 7th March 2016
It’s that time of year again when you’re thinking about summer and longing for those warm days. This year, VIVA are bringing you our festival bible early so you can make great plans leading up to your favourite season. Be prepared to dig out your Hunters, strap on those bum-bags, get creative with face paint and even work towards that summer body as we bring you our most eclectic guide yet. We’ve picked our favourite events so, whether you want to pitch your tent in muddy British fields, make your adventure a family affair or travel the continent, we’ve got something for you.
Parklife | @Parklifefest
WHERE: Heaton Park, Manchester
DATE: 11th – 12th June
LINE UP: The Chemical Brothers, Busta Rhymes, Bastille, Jamie Jones, Arman Van Helden and The Martinez Brothers.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 2016 sees the return of Parklife Festival, a Mancunian institution with a host of the biggest names in the world of house, dance, indie, pop and hip-hop. Brought to you by Manchester’s very own legendary Warehouse Project. It’s set to be even bigger and better than before. Celebrating their seventh successful year Parklife is set to host yet another festivity in the fields.
Common People | @CommonPeopleSO | @CommonPeopleOX
WHERE: Southampton & Oxford
DATE: 23rd – 24th May
LINE UP: Duran Duran, Craig David, Primal Scream, plus many more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Common Festival is a feast of the finest live music and DJs around from the multi-award winning Bestival team. They’ve given us a little extra with a peerless two day urban shindig on a sunny Bank Holiday. The festival unites all tribes under Southampton and Oxford skies as the party-fuelled affair takes place. The festival invites you all to enjoy spring with them in the spirit of a true Bestival party.
Glastonbury | @Glastofest
WHERE: Somerset, England
DATE: 22nd – 26th June
LINE UP: Coldplay and more to be announced.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: It’s the festival of all festivals – Glastonbury is back. Somehow the festivities seem to go up a level as the festival of contemporary arts returns with more delights up their sleeve. Notorious for hosting some of the biggest renowned names in music, the festival takes place over a five day period with much more on offer than just music, including a wide variety of acts like comedy, plays and a circus, which are only a sample of what the festival has to offer. Keeping quiet about the upcoming events, Glasto have given us a taste of what will be happening by revealing that Coldplay will be one of the amazing headliners to take to the stage over the weekend.
Wireless | @WirelessFest
WHERE: London, UK
DATE: 8th-10th July
LINE UP: Coming soon.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The ultimate summer party in the heart of London is back. A weekend full to the brim of class acts in pop, urban, dance and r&b music, the festival is renowned for getting some of the biggest acts in the world down South.
With the line-up yet to be revealed, we have the promise of previous years being amazing to help anticipate this year’s acts. With a reputation as one of the Capital’s musical highlights, it’s set to be an amazing weekend full of epic acts.
Beat-Herder | @Beatherder
WHERE: The Ribble Valley, Lancashire
DATE: 15th – 17th July
LINE UP: Basement Jaxx, Happy Mondays and Clean Bandit.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Those who say the low-key festivals are always the best, have definitely got it right with Beat-Herder. Returning for its eleventh year and rightly so, Beat-Herder is ready for another wild party. Well-known for its unique set-up in the beautiful Ribble Valley with stages such as the Fortress – which comes complete with flame throwers, towers and people dressed very funkily. Get ready to party up in the woods and have your hippest, most eccentric outfits at the ready.
Kendal Calling | @KendalCalling
WHERE: Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
DATE: 28th – 31st July
LINE UP: Rudimental, Kelis, Madness, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Redlight, plus many more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Kendal Calling invites you to celebrate in the fields with them again this year. This small festival with a big attitude continues to grow each year, having gone from a two-day gig with a capacity of nine hundred to a three-day bonanza with a capacity of twelve thousand. Its star-studded line-up promises unforgettable memories in beautiful surroundings. The stars are big or up and coming, the stages range from immense to quirky huts, it’s one for everyone.
Bestival | @Bestival
WHERE: Downend, Isle of Wight
DATE: 8th – 11th September
LINE UP: The Cure, Carl Cox, Bicep, Hot Chip, plus an array of musical genius’.
VIVA LOVES: The four-day music festival returns with a vengeance. After the announcement of the unbelievable new Spaceport stage, holding a twenty metre high Rocket we know it’s not to be missed. The feel-good festival continues to pioneer with some of the best names in music, in the most creative spaces a festival could bring. Its uniqueness is what makes it sell out every year promoting peace and love for everyone that is there. The music isn’t the only thing that Bestival is in demand for, you can also enjoy carnival craziness and the tranquil setting of ‘Slow Motion.’
Festival No.6 | @festivalnumber6
WHERE: Portmerion, Wales
DATE: 1st – 4th September
LINE UP: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Bastille, David Bowie reimagined and more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Set in a completely magical and breath-taking Welsh village, this festival keeps on getting bigger and better. All music genres are represented alongside other expressive arts such as punk-poetry, brass bands, a comedy stage and a plethora of arts and crafts. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia, this class act is the biggest small festival around.
Reading and Leeds | @OfficialRandL
WHERE: Reading/Leeds, England
DATE: 26th – 28th August
LINE UP: A$AP Rocky, Aluna George, The Courteeners, CHVRCHES, DJ EZ, Duke Dumont, Fetty Wap, The Vaccines, and so many more.WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The annual pair of rock music festivals returns to music lovers. The festival may be short but it’s anything but limited. Having bagged a massive five headliners – Foals, Disclosure, Red-Hot Chill Peppers, and now Biffy Clyro and Fall Out Boy – the extensive line-up is ready for an immense weekend. With a fresh new look for this year’s festivals, Reading and Leeds will not disappoint.
Sonar | @SonarFestival
WHERE: Barcelona, Spain
DATE: 16th – 18th June
LINE UP: Jamie Woon, Fatboy Slim, New Order, Richie Hawtin, DJ, EZ, and The Martinez Brothers along with more of the biggest names in music.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The international festival that knows how to party has two identities, Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night.
Since its inception back in 1994, its first class reputation underpins creativity, technology and partying all under one umbrella. Taking place at various venues around Barcelona, from pool parties to concerts, this playful few days guarantees sun and the best names in music. What more could you want?
Hideout | @hideoutfestival
WHERE: Zcre Beach, Pag, Croatia
DATE: 26th – 30th June
LINE UP: Jamie XX, Skepta, Andy C, Jamie Jones, Adam Beyer, Stormzy, MK, plus extra special guests Jackmaster, Eats Everything, Skream and Seth Troxler.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: This Croatian festival, held over five nights, takes place at Zcre Beach. From pool parties, boat parties to after parties, this festival has it all and the chance to catch a nice golden tan. With over one hundred DJs and some of the best names in the business, Hideout takes place at six open-air venues, with something to do from when you wake up to when you watch a magical closing set as the sun comes up.
Secret Garden Party | @SecretGardenHQ
WHERE: Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, England
DATE: 21st – 24th July
LINE UP: Air, Caribou, Maribou State and Primal Scream.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Shortened to SGP, this festival is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and creative around. Set in ten acres of garden containing a river and a lake, SGP is colourful, mysterious and a true escape from normality. With this year’s theme being The Gardener’s Guide to the Galaxy, prepare your best costume and get ready to enjoy a weekend of weird and wonderfulness.
V Festival | @vfestival
WHERE: Weston Park, Staffordshire
DATE: 20th-21st August
LINE UP: Sia, Little Mix, Faithless, David Guetta, Jess Glynne, Rita Ora, Lethal Bizzle, Sigma, and more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: V Festival is back and it’s bigger than ever, having just announced massive headliners, global chart royalty – Justin Bieber and Rihanna. It’s definitely one of the most in demand festivals this year! To celebrate the penultimate weekend in August and to finish summer off with a bang, V Fest – sponsored by Virgin Media – is set to be a jam-packed weekend full of sun, good vibes and amazing music.
EXIT | @ExitFestival
WHERE: Petrovaradin Fortress, Serbia
DATE: 7-10 July
LINE UP: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun, Nicky Romero, James Zabeila, Bastille, Wiz Khalifa, Ellie Goulding & Bastille.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Started as a student protest fighting for political change and freedom, EXIT continues to spread positive vibes in the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. With a host of different stages connected by cobbled streets, ramparts and tunnels, EXIT welcomes you to enjoy artists from a diverse mix of musical genres. Just a short ride away from the Serbian capital Belgrade, this beautiful medieval fortress provides the perfect backdrop.
Sziget | @szigetofficial
WHERE: Budapest, Hungary
DATE: 10-17 August
LINE UP: Bastille, Bloc Party, Chvrches, Bring Me The Horizon, MØ and Sum 41.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Having just landed the award for Best European Line-up at this year’s European Festival Awards and having picked up the Best European Festival award in 2015, this is certain to be another standout year for Sziget festival. Situated on the picturesque Óbuda Island, in Budapest, this is the go-to cultural event for arts and music lovers looking for the ultimate festival-holiday experience. Sziget invites everyone to express themselves on their self-proclaimed Island of Freedom.
Bilbao Bbk Live | @bilbaobbklive
WHERE: Bilbao, Spain
DATE: 7-9 July
LINE UP: Pixies, Tame impala, Foals, M83, Hot Chip, Years & Years, Father John Misty, Courtney Barnett and Wolf Alice.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Set against the breath-taking backdrop of Kobetamendi Hill in culture-rich Bilbao, Bilbao BBK Live invites forty thousand revellers to enjoy an unparalleled musical line-up, combining the biggest names with fresh new talent. This year’s festival promises to be one of their biggest and best yet!
Oasis | @theoasisfest
WHERE: Morocco, Marrakesh
DATE: 16-18 September
LINE UP: Dixon, Tale of Us, Derrick May, The Black Madonna, Bicep and Hunee.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Oasis brought a unique new festival experience to Morocco in 2015 with its debut event at the Fellah hotel in Marrakech. Soundtracked by the ultimate blend of house, techno, disco and electronica, the sizzling Moroccan sun ensures a laid-back festival vibe by day as guests cool off in the pool, unwind with daily yoga and massage, enjoy authentic local street food, and revel in the spectacular views of the nearby Atlas Mountains. As night falls, the dancefloor brings the heat, as the finest DJs and live acts perform under captivating star-lit skies.
Lunar | @lunar_festival
WHERE: Umberslade Farm Park, Warwickshire
DATE: 3rd–5th June
LINE UP: Super Furry Animals, Mercury Rev, Television, Badly Drawn Boy, The Zombies, Os Mutantes, Matt Berry and The Maypoles, Bentley Rhythm Ace & many more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Lunar is musically diverse with something for all the family. Featuring a vibrant range of arts, crafts, activities and games complemented by delicious artisan food and drink from across the region. There is a wide range of camping and accommodation options including Bell Tent and Tipi hire, gypsy bow caravans and local hotels.
Love International | @LoveIntFestival
WHERE: The Garden Resort, Croatia
DATE: 29th June–6th July
LINE UP: Horse Meat Disco, Hunee, Jackmaster, Job Jobse, Joy Orbison, Midland, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Prosumer and Roman Flugel and many more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Love International is the spiritual successor of the original acclaimed Croatian odyssey, the Garden Festival and seeks to build upon the decade’s worth of magic created already in the region. By day an harmonious holiday beneath the sizzling sun yet, by dusk as the beats shift gear and introduce each balmy night beneath a canopy of stars, the intimate setting holds a unique energy, soundtracked by some of the world’s leading underground DJs and producers.
Soundwave | @soundwavecro
WHERE: The Garden Resort, Croatia
DATE: 4th–8th August
LINE UP: Channel One Sound System, Riot Jazz, Romare, Harleighblu, Clap Clap, Akala, Josey Rebelle and many more.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Soundwave takes place in the beautiful and enchanting Garden Tisno, a mesmerising piece of paradise hidden on the Dalmatian coastline. Soundtracked by the some of the world’s finest exponents of broken beat, reggae, afro to acid jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, drum and bass and more, the festival is an harmonious and beatific odyssey which seamlessly merges a sublime holiday and musical escape like no other.